THE LIONS

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Review written by Jérôme Bast on Friday, March 22nd 2013 - 11 525 views Aloe Blacc, Breakestra, MF Doom, Madlib, J Dilla, Madvillain… : the reputation of the Californian label Stones Throw, which specialises in hip hop and soul, is well established. A guarantee of quality for any music lover, Stones Throw has widened its catalogue by signing its first reggae group, The Lions, whose new album, "This Generation", has just come out. Steeped in Jamaican music, the combo (twelve musicians) from Los Angeles formed in 2007. Five years after their first, essentially instrumental album, "Jungle Struttin", this second outing brings in vocals and even several singers: Deston Berry and Alex Désert, two veterans of the ska group Hepcat, Malik Moore, and finally Black Shakespeare (Robbie Shakespeare's cousin), at the helm of the I&I sound system, an ice cream truck converted into a travelling sound system that can be seen on the sleeve. A wide vocal palette that gives "This Generation" several tones. The group's diverse profiles (drawn from outfits such as Breakestra, Sound Directions, PlantLife, Orgone and Poetics) are moulded into a common idea: reviving a vintage reggae-soul atmosphere. "Since we started, we wanted our tracks to have the same roughness as the ones we listened to back then", explains Dan Ubick, guitarist and producer. "The rhythm section was recorded on tape, the messy, explosive side as well as the good mistakes were left in". Indeed, the album breathes musicality. Despite its skank, the opening track, Bird on a wire, is a real soul ballad. The title track is a success with its bouncing bass and catchy chorus. One also appreciates the inspired cover of Picture on the wall, Freddie McKay's classic, revisited here with Leroy Sibbles (The Heptones) and a fine horn line. Let us finally mention the dull pulse of Roll It Round and its relaxed vocals, or New Girl, an instrumental track that echoes their first album. The Lions may look to the past, but they deliver an album that is very much for this generation. All that remains is to discover them on stage: the band will be playing in France in June.

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